Listen: We know you love your slow cooker, and we use ours frequently too. But we’re not sold on the idea that the slow cooker is the answer to every parent’s dinner woes. In fact, we’ve got some major issues with crock pot cooking and a bunch of slow cooker recipes too.

But here are some dishes, ingredients, and circumstances for which the slow cooker is perfect. And once we’re done telling you all the ways you can do better than your slow cooker, we also tell you how you can maximize it. Because, damn, if you’re going to wait six or more hours for your food, it’d better be good.